Key changes to help Pengrowth

Article Excerpt

PENGROWTH ENERGY CORP. $0.91 (Toronto symbol PGF; Aggressive Growth and Income Portfolios, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 543.0 million; Market cap: $494.1 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.8; Dividend suspended in January 2016; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative; www.pengrowth.com) has suspended its $0.01-a-share quarterly dividend in response to the sharp decline in oil prices. It will also reduce its capital spending to between $60 million to $70 million in 2016, from $184 million in 2015. The company has also laid off workers, which should save it $25 million in 2016, and aims to sell $600 million of less important properties. It will probably put these funds toward its $2.1-billion debt, which is now a high 4.3 times its depressed market cap. Pengrowth is a hold. hold. …